Epson, HP, or Canon

[Marek Soltys]

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also, does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

 

[Breez]

I use an HP deskjet 960c, it's fine for office, but high resolution pictures just aren't comparable to canon or Epson:/

I'm looking for a photoprinter myself, i was looking more to Canon, basicly because of the (if needed) ability to replace the printheads.

I'll be waiting for the new 950i, but then again, the future is unclear (and so are finances)

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

--
Canon S45
http://www.pbase.com/breez

 

[Patapouf]

I would buy an Epson. Sure, you can't replace the heads yourself, but why in the world would you do that? The heads are built to last.

The only problem with Epson printers is you have to treat them like if they were an alive friend. They need a lot of maintenance, but when they are treated well, they reward you with incredible results.

So, it's a no-brainer (to me at least), Epson is, for now, the best of the three. Remember that Canon and Epson both have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[WP]

The most recent comprehensive review done shows that Canon has finally take the lead over Epson at the consumer level. (reference complete review from Japanese Website a week ago).

Lowest cost per page of all the printers, the best overall photo quality, and without a doubt the fastest printers on the market (And everyone who says speed doesn't matter has not seen the difference between an 8x10 that comes out of a printer in 60-90 seconds vs one that takes 8-12 minutes to print and the quality is the same or better).

Now the Epson 2200 remains probably the best choice for high-end applications/longevity, but the Canon i850 is rated as the best overall printer and the i950 as the best photo printer. The i950 is the upcoming sucessor for the very popular S900. The S900 has been considered the standard for Photo printing for about 1 year now and is still the printer that other manufacturers are trying to "beat". The Epson 960 seems to have edged it a little in overall quality, but the $150 difference in price and slower print speeds seem to be very big disadvantages for marketing.

At this moment in time, it seems that Canon S900 is the one of the best choices for photo printing, and now at it's current price, it is very hard to beat.

If you want a printer that blazes for text and prints outstanding photos as well, check out the Canon i850.

--
http://www.pbase.com/wp12001
Life is too short to waste it complaining.

 

[Dennis B.]

I am looking at the Canon S900, Epson 960 & HP7550. Everyone really likes the quality and speed of the S900 and there are good replys for the newer Epson 960. I did a test at the store and also liked the 7550. Yes it is slower than the others. I would really like to buy the Canon S900 and the price is right. I would buy this weekend if not for ink concerns. I really need a photo printer.

My main concern is longevity of the prints. I take many pictures of kids and family and need prints to last. Most are put in a photo albums. I want to print these pictures One Time Only. Anyone who says they will reprint the faded photos in the future is not being true to themselves. Who has the time to do this? Based on Posts the HP inks seem to last the longest. When talking about quality you must look at all factors. Lasting Inks should be very high one everyones quality list.

I am not sure what to purchase. But I am having a very difficult time buying a Canon if the inks and/or paper will not last a reasonable time. I have seen posts indicating the Canon inks do not hold up over time. I have also seen posts indicating that some people have no problems with Canon ink fading.

I would like to hear from Canon S900 Owners and hear it from the source.

Confused??

 

[phils]

If you do any amount of research on this website, you'll find that both Epson AND Canon have problems with clogged nozzles and dead printheads. The only advantage Canon has is that you can at least replace the printhead, although you have to contact the Canon factory and wait for them to mail you one. Of course you'll pay about $100 for the printhead after the 1-year warranty expires.

Despite the fact that everyone seems to think their choice of printer is the correct one, the only indisputable fact is that HP's printers use a printhead that is integrated with the ink cartridge - you get a new printhead each time you buy new ink so you'll never need to worry about clogged nozzles. When you boil all the 'my printer is better than your printer' arguments down, this is really the only thing you're left with. Everything else (like photo quality, color, etc) is just personal preference. About the only exception to this is speed: On average, Canon printers are undeniably the fastest, Epson is undeniably the slowest. HP is somewhere in the middle.

I hope this info helps!

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

 

[DoubleD]

I am looking at the Canon S900, Epson 960 & HP7550. Everyone really
likes the quality and speed of the S900 and there are good replys
for the newer Epson 960. I did a test at the store and also liked
the 7550. Yes it is slower than the others. I would really like to
buy the Canon S900 and the price is right. I would buy this weekend
if not for ink concerns. I really need a photo printer.

My main concern is longevity of the prints. I take many pictures of
kids and family and need prints to last. Most are put in a photo
albums. I want to print these pictures One Time Only. Anyone who
says they will reprint the faded photos in the future is not being
true to themselves. Who has the time to do this? Based on Posts the
HP inks seem to last the longest. When talking about quality you
must look at all factors. Lasting Inks should be very high one
everyones quality list.

I am not sure what to purchase. But I am having a very difficult
time buying a Canon if the inks and/or paper will not last a
reasonable time. I have seen posts indicating the Canon inks do not
hold up over time. I have also seen posts indicating that some
people have no problems with Canon ink fading.

I would like to hear from Canon S900 Owners and hear it from the
source.

Confused??

I am a canon S900 owner and I really like the printer. You could go round and round for ever trying to decide on a printer to buy and no matter what you get you would find some kind of quirk. All brands of printers have their pros and cons. As for ink longevity, time will tell with all the printers on the market. I look at my printer purchase this way......I am new to all this and by the time I get really good at printing I will upgrade to the latest technology. I could buy epsons 2200 and thought seriously about it. But then being new to printing would not do that printer justice. I think that same thought about the S900, but it was alot more affortable and I am getting better and actually seeing what the printer is capable of. I keep reading about people saying wow this printer prints better than that printer yadda yadda yadda. With all the settings on the printers and all the profiles kickin around I dont see how any printer can vary that much. Someone who says that the detail is better on the Epson over the Canon might not have the right paper or the right settings chosen. Yes the 2200 has good longevity ratings from what I have read, but me being new to printing.....I would have alot of bad photos sitting around that were gonna last a long time. I have gotten alot better with my S900 and my photos are turning out really good now. Operator error is the biggest problem people have with printers in my opinion. DD

 

[Marek Soltys]

does lexmark have anything to offer Photos?

Marek

 

[Dennis B.]

phils,

Do you have any idea of which might be a better HP printer the 7350 or the 7550 other than the small monitor? I like the idea of having the monitor but do you really need it? With rebates and gift cards I can get the HP7350 for $119 and the 7550 for $199. I did a test sample at the store with my Olympus D550 and really liked the 7550 photo. I blew away a sample I did at Walmart. I also looked slightly better than the HP230. I am looking at purchasing either the 7350 or the 7550. Would appreciate your input.
Dennis

Despite the fact that everyone seems to think their choice of
printer is the correct one, the only indisputable fact is that HP's
printers use a printhead that is integrated with the ink cartridge

• you get a new printhead each time you buy new ink so you'll never

need to worry about clogged nozzles. When you boil all the 'my
printer is better than your printer' arguments down, this is really
the only thing you're left with. Everything else (like photo
quality, color, etc) is just personal preference. About the only
exception to this is speed: On average, Canon printers are
undeniably the fastest, Epson is undeniably the slowest. HP is
somewhere in the middle.

I hope this info helps!

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

 

[Antonio Banderas]

Sorry no clogging or problems with my s9000 here, but I did have problems with the hp's. Skewed paper feed, problems with thick paper using the terrible 360 degree feed system, extremely high priced ink and getting smaller carts every year.

MT

Despite the fact that everyone seems to think their choice of
printer is the correct one, the only indisputable fact is that HP's
printers use a printhead that is integrated with the ink cartridge

• you get a new printhead each time you buy new ink so you'll never

need to worry about clogged nozzles. When you boil all the 'my
printer is better than your printer' arguments down, this is really
the only thing you're left with. Everything else (like photo
quality, color, etc) is just personal preference. About the only
exception to this is speed: On average, Canon printers are
undeniably the fastest, Epson is undeniably the slowest. HP is
somewhere in the middle.

I hope this info helps!

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

--
mt2gc

 

[dgrogers]

I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

What printer models? What paper? What settings? Profiles? One image or many images?

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

 

[John1999]

Hi there Marek5.

Please don't even consider a lexmark printer; at least don't consider their so called "top of the line" model z65 anyway. I purchased on and took it back the next day with a list of problems a page long. Do a key word search on "LEXMARK" and you will no find too much in the way of positive feed-back.

Also take blanket statements (like the one made by RASTUS) with a grain of salt. Although RASTUS indicates that he hasn't had any clogging problems with "his" CANON printer, he makes no mention of "how" he uses it. It is a well known fact that both EPSON and CANON printers will not have head clogs if they are used every few days. On the other hand, if you print intermittently and leave a CANON or EPSON printer idle for several weeks or longer, then you will almost assuredly have a head clog; possibly to the point where it may not be fixable! The only printer that is presently capable of being left idle for prolonged periods of time is HP; that is an undisputable fact!

I will qualify my statement further by saying that HP OEM inks are very expensive and the only way to go is with refill kits if you are cost conscious. Also many users have stated that the HP print quality is not quite as good as EPSON or CANON, but still very close.

It really boils down to what your personal priorities and needs are.

Hope that helps in some way.

Best regards: john1999

 

[Marek Soltys]

What printer models? What paper? What settings? Profiles? One
image or many images?

The pictures were sent by the individual manufacturer, so I assume they were at their best. One photo per printer. Paper also supplied by the manufacturer. Hp 5550, canon 900 and Epson Stylus Photo 890.

Marek

 

[dgrogers]

I've heard that Canon doesn't use its best paper for the samples. Sounds kind of dumb, but people have said that in the past (that doesn't mean they still do). How glossy was the Canon sample? How thick was it? Did they say what paper they sent it on?

As far as Epsons go, yeah, they sometimes clog on me and I have to waste a ton of time and ink to unclog the printer, but I've never had to send one in to have service. I've never had a clogging problem with a Canon printer that one cleaning cycle didn't take care of (even if its been off for months). I can't say much for HP because I haven't owned an HP in years.

What printer models? What paper? What settings? Profiles? One
image or many images?

The pictures were sent by the individual manufacturer, so I assume
they were at their best. One photo per printer. Paper also
supplied by the manufacturer. Hp 5550, canon 900 and Epson Stylus
Photo 890.

Marek

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

 

[dgrogers]

Hi there Marek5.

Please don't even consider a lexmark printer; at least don't
consider their so called "top of the line" model z65 anyway. I
purchased on and took it back the next day with a list of problems
a page long. Do a key word search on "LEXMARK" and you will no find
too much in the way of positive feed-back.

Is this a blanket statement?

Also take blanket statements (like the one made by RASTUS) with a
grain of salt. Although RASTUS indicates that he hasn't had any
clogging problems with "his" CANON printer, he makes no mention of
"how" he uses it.

Didn't you just make a blanket statement?

It is a well known fact that both EPSON and CANON
printers will not have head clogs if they are used every few days.
On the other hand, if you print intermittently and leave a CANON or
EPSON printer idle for several weeks or longer, then you will
almost assuredly have a head clog; possibly to the point where it
may not be fixable! The only printer that is presently capable of
being left idle for prolonged periods of time is HP; that is an
undisputable fact!

Is it? Have you performed a study? Sounds like a blanket statement to me.

I will qualify my statement further by saying that HP OEM inks are
very expensive and the only way to go is with refill kits if you
are cost conscious. Also many users have stated that the HP print
quality is not quite as good as EPSON or CANON, but still very
close.

The biggest problem with Lexmark is the epense of the ink.

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

 

[JG789]

The other indisputable fact you omitted: Everyone who sells prints, prints on Epson.

Despite the fact that everyone seems to think their choice of
printer is the correct one, the only indisputable fact is that HP's
printers use a printhead that is integrated with the ink cartridge

• you get a new printhead each time you buy new ink so you'll never

need to worry about clogged nozzles. When you boil all the 'my
printer is better than your printer' arguments down, this is really
the only thing you're left with. Everything else (like photo
quality, color, etc) is just personal preference. About the only
exception to this is speed: On average, Canon printers are
undeniably the fastest, Epson is undeniably the slowest. HP is
somewhere in the middle.

I hope this info helps!

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

 

[Antonio Banderas]

That's not an indisputable fact. There are many people selling prints printed on the canons. Especially the s9000. It is indisputable that phils will bash anything thats not the same as his wannabe printer.

MT

Despite the fact that everyone seems to think their choice of
printer is the correct one, the only indisputable fact is that HP's
printers use a printhead that is integrated with the ink cartridge

• you get a new printhead each time you buy new ink so you'll never

need to worry about clogged nozzles. When you boil all the 'my
printer is better than your printer' arguments down, this is really
the only thing you're left with. Everything else (like photo
quality, color, etc) is just personal preference. About the only
exception to this is speed: On average, Canon printers are
undeniably the fastest, Epson is undeniably the slowest. HP is
somewhere in the middle.

I hope this info helps!

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

--
mt2gc

 

[Antonio Banderas]

Hi there Marek5.

Please don't even consider a lexmark printer; at least don't
consider their so called "top of the line" model z65 anyway. I
purchased on and took it back the next day with a list of problems
a page long. Do a key word search on "LEXMARK" and you will no find
too much in the way of positive feed-back.

Is this a blanket statement?

Yes it is, just a blowhard that is probably talking without any experience with the printer at all. I, on the other hand, have had lots of hp experience.

Also take blanket statements (like the one made by RASTUS) with a
grain of salt. Although RASTUS indicates that he hasn't had any
clogging problems with "his" CANON printer, he makes no mention of
"how" he uses it.

Didn't you just make a blanket statement?

Haha, well said. I think this guy has a grain of salt between his ears. I HAVE had those problems with several hp printers over the years. Blanket statement? Moron. I haveused my printer both heavily and have let it sit for many days. Specifically 3 weeks while on vacation. by far most people have hnot had a problem, some have. I havn't seen (virtually) any problems at all with the i series.

It is a well known fact that both EPSON and CANON
printers will not have head clogs if they are used every few days.
On the other hand, if you print intermittently and leave a CANON or
EPSON printer idle for several weeks or longer, then you will
almost assuredly have a head clog; possibly to the point where it
may not be fixable! The only printer that is presently capable of
being left idle for prolonged periods of time is HP; that is an
undisputable fact!

OK einstein, lets see the tests you run.

Is it? Have you performed a study? Sounds like a blanket
statement to me.

I will qualify my statement further by saying that HP OEM inks are
very expensive and the only way to go is with refill kits if you
are cost conscious. Also many users have stated that the HP print
quality is not quite as good as EPSON or CANON, but still very
close.

The biggest problem with Lexmark is the epense of the ink.

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

--
mt2gc

 

[phils]

Dennis:

Those are good prices. If you want to use the printer as a photo printer AND as a general text and graphics printer, then you'll be better off buying the 7550 since it has an extra cartridge slot for the 'pigment' black ink cartridge (used for printing text). This gives you the ability to print the best possible text and the best possible photos (6-ink) without changing cartridges. Since the 7350 only has two cartridge slots, you'll want to swap in the black cartridge to get the best text quality. If you don't plan on printing alot of text, then the 7550 might not provide much benefit to you.

Despite the fact that everyone seems to think their choice of
printer is the correct one, the only indisputable fact is that HP's
printers use a printhead that is integrated with the ink cartridge

• you get a new printhead each time you buy new ink so you'll never

need to worry about clogged nozzles. When you boil all the 'my
printer is better than your printer' arguments down, this is really
the only thing you're left with. Everything else (like photo
quality, color, etc) is just personal preference. About the only
exception to this is speed: On average, Canon printers are
undeniably the fastest, Epson is undeniably the slowest. HP is
somewhere in the middle.

I hope this info helps!

I read many great things about Epson photo printers. I was going
to buy one but. I remembered that the print heads are inside the
printer. And it costs a lot to have them replaced. Any comments
regarding this issue? Is that enough to make me go with Canon or
HP? I compared photos from all 3 and Epson looked best. Also,
does any one have anything good to say about HP printers?

Thank you
--
Marek

 

[fotografer]

I disagree with you, dgrogers:

Lexmark is not recommended because they don't have a six-color printers in the market now.

The fact is that none in this forum thus far has declared they left his Canon or Epson printer for more than 6 weeks or so without having to run nozzle check and cleaning cycles. In the case of HP printers, those printhead capping method allows printer to idle for up to 8 weeks. This is a feat Canon and Epson engineers can never claim to possess.

But when it comes to print quality, that's a different matter! Personally, I like Epson prints a little more than the Canon ones, followed very closely by the new HP printers.

Hi there Marek5.

Please don't even consider a lexmark printer; at least don't
consider their so called "top of the line" model z65 anyway. I
purchased on and took it back the next day with a list of problems
a page long. Do a key word search on "LEXMARK" and you will no find
too much in the way of positive feed-back.

Is this a blanket statement?

Also take blanket statements (like the one made by RASTUS) with a
grain of salt. Although RASTUS indicates that he hasn't had any
clogging problems with "his" CANON printer, he makes no mention of
"how" he uses it.

Didn't you just make a blanket statement?

It is a well known fact that both EPSON and CANON
printers will not have head clogs if they are used every few days.
On the other hand, if you print intermittently and leave a CANON or
EPSON printer idle for several weeks or longer, then you will
almost assuredly have a head clog; possibly to the point where it
may not be fixable! The only printer that is presently capable of
being left idle for prolonged periods of time is HP; that is an
undisputable fact!

Is it? Have you performed a study? Sounds like a blanket
statement to me.

I will qualify my statement further by saying that HP OEM inks are
very expensive and the only way to go is with refill kits if you
are cost conscious. Also many users have stated that the HP print
quality is not quite as good as EPSON or CANON, but still very
close.

The biggest problem with Lexmark is the epense of the ink.

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

--
Fotografer
...like, a total himbo